Changes for the New Year

Though we're reducing the number of print issues this year, we remain committed to upholding the magazine's tradition of credible, high-quality coverage.

Welcome to our first issue of 2014. You may have noticed that this is a January/February double issue — part of a change we’re making to our print publishing schedule this year. We’ll have another combined issue for July/August.

Publishing slightly fewer print issues this year lets us better align our resources with the way you consume information. We know that more and more of you are digital natives, and so are we. The 24/7 schedule of Government Technology’s online platform — govtech.com — often is better suited to covering the dynamics and pace of change in technology and government innovation.

If you haven’t visited govtech.com lately, stop by and check it out. We’re investing in expanded online coverage of important topics like open data, civic technology and IT-related legislation. And we recently unveiled a vibrant new site design.

In addition, we’ve bulked up our daily electronic newsletter — Govtech Today — with more articles and features, and redesigned it for easier readability on traditional desktops and mobile devices. It’s free, and it’s a great way to stay on top of job-critical developments.

So what does the future hold for the print version of Government Technology?

Don’t worry — we’re committed to upholding the magazine’s tradition of credible, high-quality coverage of technology for state and local government. Our peers at the Western Publishing Association named Government Technology the best print magazine in its category last year, marking the 10th time we’ve received that honor since 1999. You’ll continue to find the articles you love and the insight you need right here on the pages of Government Technology. You’ll also see some new features in the coming months, like expanded “how-to” information on important topics.

Of course, we’ll continue to bring you solutions and case studies, along with analysis of industry trends. This issue is a great example.

On page 26, we look at one of the industry’s hottest trends: wearable technology. Google Glass may not be widely available yet, but that hasn’t stopped people from theorizing how the device might be used in the public sector. Plenty of other wearables — that strap onto your wrist, perch on your nose or simply become part of your clothing — are poised to reach the market as well. And on page 14, we explain how breakthroughs like graphene and crossbar memory could transform the technology you use.

Steve Towns is the former editor of Government Technology, and former executive editor for e.Republic Inc., publisher of GOVERNING, Government Technology, Public CIO and Emergency Management magazines. He has more than 20 years of writing and editing experience at newspapers and magazines, including more than 15 years of covering technology in the state and local government market. Steve now serves as the Deputy Chief Content Officer for e.Republic.